Honey Quinoa Granola

I'm obsessed with quinoa flakes. Have been for years now. At first I made quinoa porridge every day: quinoa porridge with cinnamon almond milk, toasted nuts and fresh figs, quinoa porridge with homemade hot chocolate, sliced banana and a scoop of almond butter, quinoa porridge with matcha, lemon zest and macadamia nuts topped with mini chocolate chips...you get the idea.

After I created every porridge under the sun, I moved on to baked goods - using quinoa flakes in sweet and savory muffins, breads and buns. You can use it as a crust for seafood, filling in meatballs but most recently, I decided to turn it into my new favorite granola!

Laced with local honey, delicious seeds, nuts and a touch of healthy fats, this granola could be a perfect little meal all by itself.

Honey Quinoa Granola

1 1/2 cups quinoa flakes (can substitute quick cook oats)

1/2 cup almond flour

1/4 cup hemp seeds

1/4 cup flaxseeds

1/4 cup pecans

dash of sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon ghee (can substitute butter or walnut oil)

1/4 cup local honey

2 tablespoons water

Method:

Pre-heat your oven to 225 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients (quinoa through cinnamon). Stir to combine.

In a small saucepan, add ghee, honey and water and bring to a gentle simmer*. Keep a close eye on this as the sugars in the honey will get hot quickly and could bubble over (depending on the size of your pan). Stir the honey mixture until it melts and begins to bubble, cooking it for just a couple minutes after it bubbles.

Carefully pour the hot honey mixture over your dry ingredients and stir to coat evenly. Use your hands for this one, it makes things a lot easier!

Spoon this mixture not your parchment lined baking sheet and spread to the outer edges in an even layer.

Bake for about 40-45 minutes or until the mixture is dry and slightly browned, stirring once about half way through baking.

Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Stores in a cool, dry place for a week or in the freezer for up to two months.